# Monte 2 Box Printed not Burned on the Bottom.



## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

Well, I just got these in today and I've never had a Monte 2. I guess everything looks good but the bottom is not burned with the "Hecho in Cuba." The smell is not anything like the Cohibas I have (the only other Cuban I've had.) I also got a 3 pack of Petit 2's that were actually sealed and they look and smell different. What do you guys think? Thanks!


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## GoJohnnyGo (Nov 19, 2011)

Looks good to me. I wouldn't worry that the cigars all smell different...they should. I also wouldn't worry too much about the stamp it looks identical to my box from 11 and they are amazing. Enjoy them!


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## ejewell (Feb 19, 2013)

Well, your box has a sticker on the bottom I've never seen before so it is not from any of the vendors I'm familiar with. (this doesnt really help I know)

If your box does have the code still intact I would check it to see if it checks out. (can also be faked)

I think all of my boxes have the charred stamp, if you run your fingers through it and it is smooth, I would be suspicious. 

From here though, the bands check out, as well as the sheen and box press character.

I can't chime in on the difference between the 10er and 3pk, as I've never had the Petit. Wish I could help there.  

I'm sure smartbull or tonybrooklyn will chime in at some point. they know more than I do.

All in all. They look solid to me.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

So, I shouldn't worry about the bottom text being printed? I'm not questioning you or your judgement. It's just that everything that I've read and heard says that the bottom text should be burned in and not printed. Admittedly, everything else seems totally legit and it came from a presumably reputable source. I want to smoke one of these suckers now, lol! I guess I'll wait at least a day or two...

Look at the top right of the S in HABANOS. There is a small drop of ink. And there seems to be some ink bleeding in the crack going through the H. You can see it in the pictures but it very shiny in person.















Edit: All of the numbers have been cut off or scratched off in the case of the micro-print.


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## Laynard (Oct 10, 2013)

I should be getting a box soon (Monday-ish). I'll let you know what mine looks like.


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## BlueDevil07 (Jun 20, 2013)

My 10-count box from ABR 13 doesn't appear to have a burned logo, either. Just the ink stamp. You're probably fine.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

Also, before this box got here today I had another knowledgeable person assure me that my vendor was okay (in reference to the "Sealed Box" thread.) 

I'd still like to know if Habanos has started stamping some (or all) boxes with ink. Thanks guys.


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## UTKhodgy (Jan 4, 2012)

Just checked my GUT ABR 13 10er and it is burned on. I still wouldn't worry (Cuba being Cuba) if you trust your vendor.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

Also, it had a single brass nail holding the lid shut.


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## UTKhodgy (Jan 4, 2012)

smknjoecool said:


> Also, it had a single brass nail holding the lid shut.


Yeah, that is just the standard dress box packaging.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

If you run your finger nail across it you should feel it catch a little.
If not is everything else okay.
Cigars look good Numbers on the seal check out etc.
Lastly do you trust your vendor??????
If not P.M me with the vendors name maybe i can put your mind at rest.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

The bottom of the box is absolutely smooth. Everything else checks out as far as I know. All numbers on the seal have been removed by scratching them off.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

smknjoecool said:


> The bottom of the box is absolutely smooth. Everything else checks out as far as I know. All numbers on the seal have been removed by scratching them off.


Many grey market vendors remove the numbers means nothing.
I guess the printing can just be Cuba being Cuba.
So whats left?
How do the cigars look taste otherwise and who;s you vendor.
Its like anything else in life process of elimination.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

Well, it seems that they* do *use ink on some boxes. Thanks guys! I promise I will try very hard to stop "newbing" out.

Maybe I should relax and...I don't know...smoke a cigar? :smoke:


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## ejewell (Feb 19, 2013)

smknjoecool said:


> Maybe I should relax and...I don't know...smoke a cigar? :smoke:


This.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

Update: I'm a not as perceptive as I thought. After moving all of the stogies to the humi I took more time to look at the box with a flashlight. If I angle the light just right I can see a very slight shadow from the indentation where the stamp was applied with pressure. When running my fingers across the lettering it's very difficult to feel, but I do feel it now. 

Again, a big thank you for all of the help and patience.


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## GoJohnnyGo (Nov 19, 2011)

smknjoecool said:


> Update: I'm a not as perceptive as I thought. After moving all of the stogies to the humi I took more time to look at the box with a flashlight. If I angle the light just right I can see a very slight shadow from the indentation where the stamp was applied with pressure. When running my fingers across the lettering it's very difficult to feel, but I do feel it now.
> 
> Again, a big thank you for all of the help and patience.


It's common to feel like you've gotten fakes on your first order. CC packaging tends to have a different look and feel than NC stuff. It takes a little experience and time to see a few different boxes from a few different manufactures to build up confidence. I remember pming TonyB because my first order (boli pc's) seemed "off". In retrospect I was just being paranoid and when I took his advice to smoke a few my worries were settled. Enjoy your new smokes and if you feel good about your vendor order some more stuff!! (I know you want to):biggrin:


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## DooDude (Nov 22, 2013)

:smoke::smoke::smoke:


GoJohnnyGo said:


> It's common to feel like you've gotten fakes on your first order. CC packaging tends to have a different look and feel than NC stuff. It takes a little experience and time to see a few different boxes from a few different manufactures to build up confidence. I remember pming TonyB because my first order (boli pc's) seemed "off". In retrospect I was just being paranoid and when I took his advice to smoke a few my worries were settled. Enjoy your new smokes and if you feel good about your vendor order some more stuff!! (I know you want to):biggrin:


X2:smoke::smoke:


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## Merovius (Sep 11, 2013)

My recent box, May '13. Was sealed upon arrival.



Code checked out on Habanos SA and the cigars had their pungent, unmistakable smell. I have not smoked one yet but have no doubts about authenticity.

And I do agree with you, it looks printed when compared with other boxes. The indentation is very subtle.

Enjoy your smokes!


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## BlueDevil07 (Jun 20, 2013)

Merovius said:


> My recent box, May '13. Was sealed upon arrival.
> 
> Code checked out on Habanos SA and the cigars had their pungent, unmistakable smell. I have not smoked one yet but have no doubts about authenticity.
> 
> ...


How was the construction? Filled well or underfilled?


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## TheGipper (Jun 13, 2004)

Don't take this as a criticism, but...

Punching the code into the Habanos website means nothing as far as authenticity. If anything, it's possible you might actually harm your source since Habanos now knows via this means that a box sold through a particular regional distributor ended up in country X if they are capturing your IP address. The whole reason for the micro printing of the serial number is to catch regional distributors who are cheating on their territorial exclusivity agreement with Habanos SA.

The point is the codes are sequential and really have no security or authenticity value for the end customer. Go ahead and add (or subtract) 1, 2, 3, etc to your serial number and put them in the Habanos website. Sure enough, they will also check out. Or try this number, I just made it up: 000017982702. So it's the easiest thing in the world for counterfeiters to grab a known good serial number and just reproduce them.

But generally, the counterfeiters don't much bother with the new fancy hologram seals. The hologram + microprinting can be faked, but it's more cost than it's really worth to the counterfeiters. Most of the fakers just go for the low-hanging tourist fruit and sell glass tops or unsealed boxes that they put an unused old style warranty seal inside the box!

If I got a box from my trusted source that I punched the serial code in and the Habanos website said it wasn't valid...I'd be much more sure that the Habanos folks screwed something in their database up on a legitimate box than I would suspect my source of bothering to fake a hologrammatic seal, fake the micro printing, but somehow, inexplicably, forgetting to bother using a valid serial code.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

All these discussions have the same moral:

Know and trust your source!

BTW, did you know you can verify a source?

Find the Habanos SA website and determine the distributor for the region your Vendor is in.

Then email the distributor for that region and ask if your vendor is authorized through them.

Someone will reply to your email, usually by the next business day.

Now, on rare occasions an authorized vendor will sell fakes. But these will be, say Grand Reservas or such. Never regular production.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

bpegler said:


> all these discussions have the same moral:
> 
> Know and trust your source!
> 
> ...


_bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Give that man a seegar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

bpegler said:


> All these discussions have the same moral:
> 
> Know and trust your source!
> 
> Now, on rare occasions an authorized vendor will sell fakes. But these will be, say Grand Reservas or such. Never regular production.


Edit: ...and that's another reason why I would think that getting sealed boxes from an authorized dealer would help keep that rare or occasional risk to a minimum. I've read where some people say they get real boxes, codes, seals, and even real sticks, but have some fakes mixed in.

Maybe after I've done business with them several times and I have familiarized myself with the product. Then, I can trust a vendor. Why should a total newb trust vendors when stuff like that goes on? It's sort of like saying trust your drug dealer.

I'm not questioning this particular order anymore. This is just a general statement referring to someone just starting out with CCs.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

Duplicate post.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

smknjoecool said:


> Maybe after I've done business with them several times and I have familiarized myself with the product. Then, I can trust a vendor. Why should a total newb trust vendors when stuff like that goes on? It's sort of like saying trust your drug dealer.
> 
> I'm not questioning this particular order anymore. This is just a general statement referring to someone just starting out with CCs.


I think that taking things slowly at the beginning is a wise plan. And certainly feel free to ask a lot of questions, just be aware that HSA quality control will leave a lot of room for some odd variations.

Unlike drug dealers, however, cigar vendors are selling legal products within a licensed framework.

Most legitimate vendors will never sell fake cigars.

My point was simply that besides trying to authenticate an individual cigar or box, it is helpful to authenticate your vendor.

If your vendor is not recognized by their distributor, you are almost certainly getting fakes.

For reasons I don't completely understand, most fakes originate in central America. Costa Rica in particular.

My recommendation to know and trust your vendor requires a fair amount of work on the front end.

Hope you enjoy your cigars!


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

I'm pretty sure I will. They've tasted good so far!


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

The risk for getting a sealed box is mold or split wrappers. Having the box inspected reduces that risk. If you are more comfortable getting sealed boxes, that is certainly your right as a customer. Over time, however, most of us prefer having them inspected first.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

I appreciate you elaborating. And I'm not questioning anyone here. I've had a couple of great members reassure me about this particular situation. I'm just speaking in general terms and I think the conversation can help others that are new to the world of CCs as well.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

Joe, I think your thread has been thoughtful throughout. Lots of good questions.

As far as the board etiquette goes, asking questions rarely ruffles feathers. 

Just starting out as an expert is another story altogether...

But we all live and learn.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

:nod::nod::nod::nod::nod::nod::nod:


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